Rapid advances in materials technology are creating many novel forms of coatings for energy efficient applications in solar energy. Insulating heat mirrors, selective absorbers, transparent insulation and fluorescent concentrators are already available commercially. Radiative cooling, electrochromic windows and polymeric light pipes hold promise for future development, while chemical and photochemical processes are being considered for energy storage. This book investigates new material advances as well as applications, costs, reliability and industrial production of existing materials. Each contribution represents a landmark in the field of materials science.

Solar Materials Science is a collection of lecture series on solar and other related energy technologies, sponsored by the New Mexico Joint Center for Materials Science. This book is divided into three sections encompassing 21 chapters that discuss the basic concepts of materials science, their utilization in solar technology, and examples of this utilization and the technology. The introductory chapters present an overview of the solar materials science and technology. Section I describes the optical properties, microstructure, and materials used in solar collectors and mirrors. This section also examines metals emissivity, spectral selectivity of composite for absorbers, and corrosion of solar thermal energy materials. Section II deals with the application of thermodynamic principles and reversible chemical reactions to solar storage systems. This section also considers the materials problems encountered during the development of thermochemical concepts and schemes. Section III focuses on the principles, materials used, and encountered problems in the development of photovoltaic systems. The optimization of solar conversion devices is also covered in this section. Undergraduate and graduate students in metallurgy, metallurgical and materials engineering, materials science, electrical and mechanical engineering, engineering science, and solid-state physics and chemistry will greatly benefit from this book.

Nanostructured Materials for Solar Energy Conversion covers a wide variety of materials and device types from inorganic materials to organic materials. This book deals with basic semiconductor physics, modelling of nanostructured solar cell, nanostructure of conventional solar cells such as silicon, CIS and CdTe, dye-sensitized solar cell, organic solar cell, photosynthetic materials, fullerene, extremely thin absorber (ETA) solar cell, quantum structured solar cell, intermediate band solar cell, carbon nanotube, etc. including basic principle and the latest results. There are many books written on conventional p-n junction solar cells, but few books focus on new concepts in this area.* Focuses on the use of nanostructured materials for solar energy* Looks at a wide variety of materials and device types* Covers both organic and inorganic materials

While measuring the effectiveness of solar cell materials may not always be practical once a device has been created, solar cell modeling may allow researchers to obtain prospective analyses of the internal processes of potential materials prior to their manufacture. Advanced Solar Cell Materials, Technology, Modeling, and Simulation discusses the development and use of modern solar cells made from composite materials. This volume is targeted toward experts from universities and research organizations, as well as young professionals interested in pursuing different subjects regarding advanced solar cells.

This book reviews the current status of semiconductor materials for conversion of sunlight to electricity, and highlights advances in both basic science and manufacturing. Photovoltaic (PV) solar electric technology will be a significant contributor to world energy supplies when reliable, efficient PV power products are manufactured in large volumes at low cost. Expert chapters cover the full range of semiconductor materials for solar-to-electricity conversion, from crystalline silicon and amorphous silicon to cadmium telluride, copper indium gallium sulfide selenides, dye sensitized solar cells, organic solar cells, and environmentally friendly copper zinc tin sulfide selenides. The latest methods for synthesis and characterization of solar cell materials are described, together with techniques for measuring solar cell efficiency. Semiconductor Materials for Solar Photovoltaic Cells presents the current state of the art as well as key details about future strategies to increase the efficiency and reduce costs, with particular focus on how to reduce the gap between laboratory scale efficiency and commercial module efficiency. This book will aid materials scientists and engineers in identifying research priorities to fulfill energy needs, and will also enable researchers to understand novel semiconductor materials that are emerging in the solar market. This integrated approach also gives science and engineering students a sense of the excitement and relevance of materials science in the development of novel semiconductor materials. · Provides a comprehensive introduction to solar PV cell materials · Reviews current and future status of solar cells with respect to cost and efficiency · Covers the full range of solar cell materials, from silicon and thin films to dye sensitized and organic solar cells · Offers an in-depth account of the semiconductor material strategies and directions for further research · Features detailed tables on the world leaders in efficiency demonstrations · Edited by scientists with experience in both research and industry

Sustainable Material Solutions for Solar Energy Technologies: Processing Techniques and Applications provides an overview of challenges that must be addressed to efficiently utilize solar energy. The book explores novel materials and device architectures that have been developed to optimize energy conversion efficiencies and minimize environmental impacts. Advances in technologies for harnessing solar energy are extensively discussed, with topics including materials processing, device fabrication, sustainability of materials and manufacturing, and current state-of-the-art. Leading international experts discuss the applications, challenges, and future prospects of research in this increasingly vital field, providing a valuable resource for students and researchers working in this field. - Explores the fundamentals of sustainable materials for solar energy applications, with in-depth discussions of the most promising material solutions for solar energy technologies: photocatalysis, photovoltaic, hydrogen production, harvesting and storage - Discusses the environmental challenges to be overcome and importance of efficient materials utilization for clean energy - Looks at design materials processing and optimization of device fabrication via metrics such as power-to-weight ratio, effectiveness at EOL compared to BOL, and life-cycle analysis

A modern challenge is for solar cell materials to enable the highest solar energy conversion efficiencies, at costs as low as possible, and at an energy balance as sustainable as necessary in the future. This textbook explains the principles, concepts and materials used in solar cells. It combines basic knowledge about solar cells and the demanded criteria for the materials with a comprehensive introduction into each of the four classes of materials for solar cells, i.e. solar cells based on crystalline silicon, epitaxial layer systems of III-V semiconductors, thin-film absorbers on foreign substrates, and nano-composite absorbers. In this sense, it bridges a gap between basic literature on the physics of solar cells and books specialized on certain types of solar cells.The last five years had several breakthroughs in photovoltaics and in the research on solar cells and solar cell materials. We consider them in this second edition. For example, the high potential of crystalline silicon with charge-selective hetero-junctions and alkaline treatments of thin-film absorbers, based on chalcopyrite, enabled new records. Research activities were boosted by the class of hybrid organic-inorganic metal halide perovskites, a promising newcomer in the field.This is essential reading for students interested in solar cells and materials for solar cells. It encourages students to solve tasks at the end of each chapter. It has been well applied for postgraduate students with background in materials science, engineering, chemistry or physics.